#emotional complexity

[yamishika]

Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I wish Jellal was allowed to be angry.

Not just sorrowful.

Not just self-sacrificing.

Or self-punishing.

But furious at what was done to him. At the life he lost. At the way he’s expected to carry the weight of actions he wasn’t fully conscious of, with grace and silence.

He’s always shown as composed in his guilt, patient in his atonement—which is admirable. But sometimes it feels like it’s flattening him into a symbol of repentance, and erasing the complexity of what he endured.

He was a child. He was manipulated. He bled, he hurt, and he was twisted into something he didn’t choose.

He lost YEARS of his life in containment, upon containment, upon containment.

Years he’ll never get back.

Jellal is one of the characters who objectively suffered the most in Fairy Tail, but the narrative rarely lets the audience sit with that. His pain is shifted away, reframed through others, or skipped over entirely.

We never really get to see him process it on his own terms.

I guess what I’m trying to say is: I don’t want Jellal to be a parable.

I want him to be a person.

Let him feel what was done to him. Let him process that he was wronged, too—that he’s not just someone who caused pain, but someone who experienced it, deeply. It’s not about removing accountability—it’s about letting him grieve and exist outside of guilt.

He doesn’t need to be calm and noble all the time. That’s not healing. That’s just another kind of silence.

Let Jellal scream. Let him ask why. Let him mourn the life he never got to live—not as a villain, not as a saint, but as someone who deserves that emotional space.

I have a lot of thoughts on Jellal and how his character was handled, and I already have a breakdown/long post coming up which tackles another topic but I might make one for this sentiment too.

But as of now, I just needed to get this part off my chest.

Thank you for listening.

[vellichor74]

Arcane - S.2 Ep.2 Opening

Something that I’ve always admired about Arcane is its ability to tap into the most heartbreaking concepts, and portray them in a breathtaking way that puts across the stark reality of such concepts, yet blends in the beauty of visual symbolism, dialogue, and emotional complexity.

The opening scene of S.2, Ep.2 is a brilliant example of heartbreak and grief, with Jinx’s farewell to Silco cutting deeply to the core of her character. Her words, especially, “Except this time, you aren’t here to put it all back together, because someone put all those holes in you,” carry a devastating emotional weight. What makes this line so heart-wrenchingly haunting is its childlike simplicity, masking the violent nature of Silco’s death behind a tone of innocence.

The phrasing feels almost as though a child were trying to make sense of something incomprehensible, softening the horror of death by turning it into something more clear and manageable. “Put it all back together” evokes the imagery of broken toys, where fixing things can be an act of reassurance and love. Silco was the one who used to ‘put her back together’ when her mind fractured, acting as both a caretaker and the very creator of her evolving identity. Now, the reversal is straight-up cruel; she quite frankly cannot repair him, and the finality of “all those holes in you” is heartbreakingly literal, yet phrased as if a child were describing a once revered doll, lost by damage.

This childlike lens shines a tragic contrast with the reality of Jinx’s world. It’s a brutal, unforgiving place that has stolen her innocence time and time again, yet in this moment, the words suggest a yearning to escape the harshness. This juxtaposition mirrors her core struggle - wavering between a fractured, older psyche, and the lost, uncertain child she once was.

Visually, the scene is amplified with its soft, muted underwater setting, a place where her words like bubbles seem to float, untethered by logic or chronology. It’s as if she’s clinging to the last remnants of her childhood: words, images, and a desperate belief that things can be undone, even when they can’t. In the water, time itself seems irrelevant, just as it does in grief.

This quote also ties directly to Silco’s role in her life. Despite his manipulations, he became a parental figure who accepted her for all her chaos. Her phrasing suggests she still sees him in this light, not as the dangerous and cunning underlord of Zaun, but as a steady, almost mythical presence who was always there to catch her when she fell. This childlike portrayal of Silco’s death renders it even more tragic. She simplifies the trauma into something she can understand and endure; a defense mechanism as fragile and devastating as Powder’s remaining sense of self.

I just love how this moment captures so much of what makes Arcane unforgettable. It is raw and poetic, balancing emotional complexity with a delicate touch of innocence that both humanises Jinx and deepens the tragedy of her world. I swear this kind of portrayal is so rarely done well, and oh my goodness when it is..

[omegaphilosophia]

The Philosophy of the Sublime

The sublime is a concept in philosophy and aesthetics that refers to an experience of awe, grandeur, and wonder, often evoking a mixture of fear and admiration. This notion has been explored by various philosophers and thinkers throughout history, particularly in the context of nature, art, and human experience. Here’s an in-depth exploration of the philosophy of the sublime:

1. Historical Origins

Edmund Burke: In his work "A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful" (1757), Burke distinguished between the beautiful and the sublime. He associated the sublime with vastness, infinity, and power, which can overwhelm and inspire a sense of awe and terror.

Immanuel Kant: In "Critique of Judgment" (1790), Kant elaborated on the sublime as something that transcends normal human experience and comprehension. He identified two forms of the sublime: the mathematical sublime, related to the vastness of nature and the universe, and the dynamical sublime, related to the power and force of natural phenomena.

Romanticism: The Romantic poets and artists, such as William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Caspar David Friedrich, celebrated the sublime in nature, emphasizing the emotional and spiritual responses to its grandeur and beauty.

2. Key Characteristics of the Sublime

Vastness and Infinity: Experiences or objects that are vast in scale, such as mountains, oceans, or the night sky, evoke a sense of the sublime. Their immensity challenges human perception and comprehension.

Power and Terror: The sublime often involves elements of danger and power, such as thunderstorms, hurricanes, or erupting volcanoes. These evoke fear but also admiration for their majesty and force.

Transcendence: The sublime experience transcends ordinary understanding and evokes a sense of something greater than oneself. It can lead to feelings of humility and reverence.

Aesthetic Experience: In art and literature, the sublime is associated with works that evoke profound emotional responses, often through depictions of nature’s grandeur or human achievement.

3. Philosophical Implications

Human Limits: The concept of the sublime highlights the limitations of human perception and understanding. It suggests that there are aspects of existence that are beyond human control and comprehension.

Emotional Complexity: The sublime evokes complex emotions that combine fear, awe, wonder, and admiration. This complexity enriches human experience and understanding of the world.

Nature and the Divine: The sublime often leads to reflections on the relationship between nature and the divine. The overwhelming power and beauty of nature can evoke a sense of the divine presence or the transcendental.

4. The Sublime in Art and Culture

Visual Arts: Artists like J.M.W. Turner and Caspar David Friedrich captured the sublime in their depictions of natural landscapes and phenomena, emphasizing vastness, power, and emotional depth.

Literature: Writers such as Mary Shelley and Lord Byron explored the sublime in their works, using language to evoke the awe and terror of natural and supernatural elements.

Modern Interpretations: Contemporary artists and thinkers continue to explore the sublime in various forms, including digital art, cinema, and virtual reality, pushing the boundaries of what can evoke awe and wonder.

5. Critiques and Evolving Perspectives

Subjectivity: Some critics argue that the experience of the sublime is highly subjective and culturally specific. What one person finds sublime, another may not.

Environmental Ethics: The concept of the sublime has been revisited in discussions about environmental ethics, emphasizing the need to protect and preserve the natural landscapes that evoke these profound experiences.

The philosophy of the sublime explores the profound and often overwhelming experiences of awe, grandeur, and wonder in response to nature, art, and human achievement. It challenges human limits of perception and understanding, evoking complex emotions and reflections on the transcendental. From its historical origins in the works of Burke and Kant to its manifestations in Romantic art and contemporary culture, the sublime remains a powerful and enduring concept in philosophy and aesthetics.

[butterfliesoverfeelings]

Caught between Us and Me

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” I’ve been sitting with this quote for what feels like a lifetime. I loved you more than I ever thought possible, more than I’ve ever wanted anything. But when you left, you broke me—harder than anyone else ever could. I didn’t scream or cry. I made no noise. I couldn’t. I became the quietest I’ve ever been, a shell of myself. I couldn’t afford to feel anything, so I ignored everything, including myself.

Days and nights blurred together as I stared at walls, pretending I could still focus on my exams. The pain I refused to face buried itself deep inside me, like a knot tightening in my chest. I wanted to disappear just to escape it. I thought of hurting myself, hoping physical pain might be easier to carry. But you weren’t there. Love, you couldn’t see how lost I was. I’m not blaming you—I just need you to understand the suffocating darkness I’ve been living with, alone.

Even now, the weight of it all is overwhelming. Maybe you think I’m fine because I never showed how I was unraveling. I’m not fine. The helplessness I carry is like a stone anchored so deep inside me that it’s reshaped who I am. When you left, I struggled to accept it, and that struggle changed me. The pain felt like a slow-burning poison, crawling through my veins until I buried my feelings so deeply that I buried myself with them. Now, silence follows me everywhere. It’s my only companion.

I know I should have fought for myself. I should’ve stood up for my worth, demanded answers for why you treated me like I didn’t matter. But I didn’t. If I loved you less, I would’ve. But I loved you so much that I protected you from the weight of what you’d done. Now, I’m spent. There’s nothing left to drag out because I don’t trust you anymore.

When you reached out again, I hesitated—and I’m still hesitating. I’m terrified. I lost you once, and I almost lost myself too. I can’t risk going through that again. Every breath feels like a struggle, as if I have to remind myself to keep breathing. You left me in the darkness, and while I don’t blame you for it, I need to acknowledge it. That darkness—it’s found a home inside me.

I wanted to ask why it was so easy for you to leave. Why was it so easy to erase me? But the words never came. Maybe I understand now. You once told me you couldn’t carry me until you were with someone else —my pain and suffering was too much for you. At the time, it crushed me. But now I see it wasn’t just about me. You were lost, too—struggling under your own fears. Maybe leaving wasn’t because you didn’t care, but because you didn’t know how to stay. Maybe you were as helpless in your own way as I was in mine.

But that realization doesn’t make it any easier. Now, I’m asking you to leave me for good. Don’t look back. Don’t waste time trying to fix something that’s already broken. I loved you enough to let you walk away once, but this time, I’m asking you to go for good. I can’t afford our love story anymore. I’m sorry, but I’m far too broke.

I can’t dream about us the way I used to. You’re not the person who soothes my fears anymore—you’re the one who left me shivering in them. The truth is, part of me still wants you. Part of me still remembers what we had, and sometimes, I wonder if we could find our way back to it. Not to who we were, but to something different, something better.

I won’t hold onto you any longer. I’m starting to see a future without you—and maybe that’s okay. I don’t need you to complete me. I don’t need to wait for someone who left. That doesn’t mean I’ve stopped hoping that maybe, one day, we’ll find each other again—when we’re both ready. But right now, I need this time to stand on my own.

I’m scared, though. Scared of losing us and myself all over again. That’s why I need to choose myself, to feel whole without you. It’s where I am now—caught between holding on and letting go. I need to stop lingering on the door of our past. I know I need to let go. Not because I want to erase you, but because I need space to heal, to grow, and to find peace on my own.

So, go. Don’t look back for now. If our paths cross again—if the stars align, if we both grow in the ways we need to—then maybe we’ll meet again. Maybe we’ll be ready then. Until that day, I’ll keep moving forward. I’ll keep building myself up. I’ll keep hoping, but I won’t keep holding on.

Hopefully each breath will be easier than the last, like spring after a long winter. With each one, I want to find my way back to myself. And no matter what happens, I know that I’ll survive.

©butterfliesoverfeelings

[theiraperspective]

"When Happiness and Sadness Collide"

November 10, 2024 - 6:30 PM

One evening, while hanging out with friends, we were all laughing, enjoying the moment. But suddenly, something hit me: I'm not happy.

Not happy? But I was just laughing a second ago. How can I feel like this now?

I thought, If I'm laughing, that means I'm happy, right?

But then I remembered a time when I got full marks in a subject I hated. I worked so hard, and when I finally got full marks, I cried, but I was still happy.

Wait, crying means sadness, right?

Yes, but I was still happy when I cried…

But if I was happy, why was I crying?

Wait… It’s so confusing. It’s like my mind is playing tricks on me. Why is this so confusing? If you're laughing, you're happy; if you're crying, you're sad. It's simple. Why am I making it complex?

No… you're not making it complicated. It's how you grow, thinking beyond what you were taught.

We've always been taught that laughter equals happiness and crying equals sadness. But now, I’m questioning that. It’s not always so clear-cut. You can’t truly understand someone’s emotions just by their expressions. Emotions are more complex than we think.

[tommyexplores]

How to destroy your attraction to straight guy

I confessed my attraction to my straight friend, although I knew he’d never feel the same way and it would completely destroy our friendship. Frankly, the excitement of it had long wore off and I was feeling emotionally exhausted. I knew a confession like this would only push him away, but I had to move on. We had met just over a year ago. I saw an opportunity in him to finally make friends with…

[luvinaeverdene]

Three Colors: White (1994) Directed by Krzysztof Kieślowski

[infohub27]

Summary of “Verity”

Colleen Hoover’s Verity, a psychological thriller that has you questioning everything until the end! It follows Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer who is tasked with completing the remaining books of Verity for publishing. Brought in to finish off the final series of books from now-deceased bestseller Verity Crawford, Lowen walks into a spider web of psychological twists and turns.

The story starts when Lowen, a once successful yet currently struggling writer is approached for an impossible task. When she signs at a book store, an offer arrives so unanticipated that it would only be the conclusion to end all conclusions: end the untold series written by famous but now-bedridden Verity Crawford. Verity has been in a car accident and can neither write anything properly nor communicate effectively.    Read More…

[joncronshawauthor]

The Role of Lost Innocence in Fantasy: A Dark Perspective

The loss of innocence isn’t just a theme in dark fantasy. It’s often the whole point. These stories show us not just that innocence dies, but how it dies. One compromise, one trauma, one impossible choice at a time. Through characters forced to grow up too fast, we explore how harsh realities reshape those who face them. Soren’s Journey in Guild of Assassins My novel Guild of Assassins…

[chibibytes-anime]

Garfiel's vulnerability and Subaru's heroism shine in Episode 57 of Re:ZERO, setting the stage for thrilling confrontations ahead.

[artbynestor]

"Codependency" by Nestor

This intricate black-and-white hand-drawn artwork captures the powerful emotional connection between a couple, intertwined through a vast network of neurons and veins. It delves deep into the symbolism of codependency, showing how relationships can become both a source of strength and constraint. The contrast of the delicate lines of the human forms with the intricate web of connections evokes a profound reflection on love, dependency, and identity.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

#DarkArt, #HandDrawn, #EmotionalArt, #Codependency, #LoveAndLoss, #SurrealArt, #HumanConnection, #BlackAndWhiteArt, #IntricateDetails, #NeuralArt, #RelationshipArt, #Symbolism, #ArtByNestor, #FantasyArt, #ReflectionArt, #GothicArt

[minotaurapologist]

Bunnies is a difficult animals

[beets]

9-1-1. 7.04 Buck, Bothered and Bewildered [details]

[shalom-iamcominghome]

Perhaps a controversial take, but I don't think the phrase "make nazis afraid again" actually reflects what often happened in real life both in history and in the current day. I've seen way too many comfortable, celebrated nazis who were and are nothing but unafraid and emboldened.

I feel a more accurate slogan would be "make nazis afraid."

[thefluxsystem]

You know what the worst part of having a dissociative disorder is, for me personally?

The emotional amnesia.

Your entire life feels like something that you watched on TV, rather than something that you actually lived through.

You know that some of the most horrific things imaginable have happened to you, and you feel nothing about it. Sure, the memories disgust you on principle, but you don’t feel anything.

It makes you question if anything that you remember is real. If that actually happened, shouldn’t it feel significant? Shouldn’t you be sad, angry, hurt, something?

And to top it all off, nobody understands. Not even yourself.

[arcanegifs]

ARCANE LEAGUE OF LEGENDS: 2x01 - “Heavy is the Crown”